Gridmate luminaire end panel and support bracket



y 1970 J. C. OLLINGER ETAL 3,509,668

GRIDMATE LUMINAIRE END PANEL AND SUPPORT BRACKET Filed April 1, 1968INVENTOR JAMES C- OLLINGER RONALD R- THOMAS United States Patent O US.Cl. 5228 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lighting fixture mountingbracket for use in a vaulted module luminaire system. The mountingbracket is a metal end panel which serves the dual purpose of supportingthe light fixture and providing a decorative trapezoidal-shaped endpanel on which the sloping sides of the acoustical boards would besupported. The end panel is clamped to the main runners of the ceilingsuspension system. A recess is formed in the upper portion of the endpanel to provide a mounting point for the ends of the light fixture anda support and/or end cover for the lens which covers the light fixture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relatesto a lighting fixture support and, more particularly, to a decorativelighting fixture support in a vaulted module acoustical ceiling system.

Description of the prior art The Karth Patent No. 3,081,398 disclosesthe conventional method of mounting the lighting fixture above asuspended ceiling. A bracket is used to support the lighting fixture,one end of the bracket being fastened to the runners of the suspendedceiling, and the other end of the bracket being fastened to the lightingfixture to position the lighting fixture above the suspended ceiling.

The Alexieff Patent No. 3,321,877 discloses a vaulted module ceilingsystem wherein a framework is used to hold the lighting fixture inposition. The framework to support the light fixture is fastened to thesupport structure for the suspended ceiling and must be concealed fromview by the use of separate end pans or acoustical panels cut in ageneral trapezoidal shape. The lens for the lighting fixture must thenbe cut to abut against a flat surface of the end pans or the acousticalmaterial.

It is always extremely difficult to get a good light-tight joint at theends of the lens for the light fixture when the end of the lens isplaced up against a flat surface. Normally, a tight joint is not securedand light coming around the end of the lens tends to accentuate the endof the lens. The use of a recessed area on the end panels of the vaultedmodule provides a resting place for the lens and/ or an effective lighttrap which helps the lens blend in with the end panel and avoid adistracting accentuation of the end of the lense due to light escapingaround the end of the lenses. Also, the end panel now performs a dualfunction of being the support for the luminaire and being the decorativeend panel of the vaulted system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is directed to a light fixturemounting bracket which serves the dual purpose of supporting the lightfixture and providing a decorative trapezoidal-shaped end panel to closein the area between the sloping side panels of acoustical board formingthe vaulted modular luminaire. For example, in a 4' X 4 opening of asuspended ceiling system, the light fixture and acoustical panels aremounted to form the vaulted module. The

3,509,668 Patented May 5, 1970 acoustical panels rest on the runners ofthe suspended ceiling system defining the 4 x 4' opening. The edge ofthe panels rest upon one set of 4' long sections of the runners. Thepanels are inclined relative to each other forming a vaulted appearance.The lighting fixture is mounted above the plane of the ceiling system inthe region where the inclined panels are closest together. Normally thelight fixture and the runners support the panels in position. Atrapezoidal-shaped end panel is placed on each of the adjacent set of 4long sections of runners to form the support for holding the lightfixture in position. In addition, the outer decorative face of the endpanel forms a decorative closure for the ends of the inclined acousticalpanels.

It may be possible to provide a recess in the upper portion of the endpanel to provide a point for fastening the light fixture to the endpanel. In addition, the recess may serve as a shelf for the supportingof the lens which normally covers the light fixture and/or the recesswill function as a light trap to close off the end of the lens toprevent stray light from escaping around the ends of of the lens.Normally, a lens is formed with a diffused surface to soften the lightcoming from the light fixture.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a support for the lightfixture, which support serves both as a support and as a decorativeclosure for the otherwise open ends of a vaulted acoustical ceilingsystem. A further object is the provision of a recess in the end panelto function as both a lens support and a light trap for the end of thelens.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an end view of a vaultedmodule ceiling system;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line AA of FIG. 1 showing oneembodiment of the novel mounting bracket; and

FIG. 3 is a second embodiment of the novel mounting bracket.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, theacoustical panels 2 define the plane of the suspended ceiling system.The ceiling system is supported by runners 4 which in turn are suspendedfrom the main ceiling. Acoustical panels 6 rest on the runners 4 in aninclined relationship to form the sides of the vaulted module. A lightfixture 8 is positioned between the two inclined panels 6 in the regionadjacent the point where the two panels 6 are nearest to each other. Thelighting fixture is covered by a lens 10 which spans the distance fromone inclined panel 6 to the adjacent inclined panel so that the lens 10provides complete diffusing of the light coming from the light fixtureand conceals the light fixture from view. The light fixture and therunners 4 constitute the support for the inclined panels 6.

Running at a angle from the runners 4 are runners 12. The runners 4 andthe runners 12 define a rectangular area which is approximately 4 x 4.The runners 12 carry the support bracket which holds the light fixturein position above the plane of the suspended ceiling so that the lightfixture can in turn supply one of the two points of support for theinclined panels 6.

FIG. 2 discloses one preferred embodiment wherein the runner 12 supportsthe mounting bracket assembly 14. At the lower end of the mountingbracket assembly 14 there is a yoke-type structure 16 which extends overthe verical web of the runner 12 to hold the bracket in positionrelative to the runner 12. A recess 18 is formed in the upper portion ofthe bracket assembly 14. The main frame 20 of the luminaire has abent-down portion 22 which fastens to the inside of the recess 18. Themounting of the element 22 to the bottom Wall of the recess 18 thuspermits the mounting bracket assembly 14 to function as the support forthe lighting fixture. The lighting fixture carries the conventionaltubes 24 and tube end supports 26. The lens 10 is placed over thelighting fixture and may rest on the sidewall 28 of the recess 18. Thesidewall 28 may serve as both the light trap and support for the lens orthe lens could be fastened directly to the lighting fixture and thesidewalls 28 function merely as the light trap to prevent light fromgoing around or past the edge of the lens 10.

In FIG. 3 another embodiment is shown with like structure indicated bythe same numerals as used in FIG.

2. The mounting bracket assembly 14 is composed of a fiat element 30which has at its lower end yoke-type structure 16 to mount the fiatplate 30 relative to the runner 12. A second plate 32 is mounted to theforward face of plate 30 and is fastened to plate 30 by tabs 34. Theportion 36 of flat plate 32 which bridges the gap between plate 30 and32 forms the sidewalls of a recess 18. These sidewalls 36 are comparableto the sidewalls 28 of the embodiment of FIG. 2.

The difference between the embodiment of FIG. 3 and that of FIG. 2 isthat the embodiment of FIG, 2 has the recess formed by a deep drawprocess wherein the assembly 14 is made of one integral structure whichis formed with the recess therein. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, twoseparate structural elements are fastened together to form a compositeassembly 14 with a recess 18. This eliminates the need for the deepdrawing during the forming process. The lighting fixture and lens ismounted in FIG. 3 in a similar manner to that in which it was mounted inthe embodiment of FIG. 2. The front face 38 of assembly 14 and the frontface 38 of the assembly 14' are provided with a decorative coating sincethis front face 38 (38') serves as the decorative end panel structurefor the vaulted module. The vauted module has its sides defined by theouter surface of the acoustical panels 6, the surface 38 of the endpanel assemblies 14 and the 4 outer surface of the lens 10. The recessstructure 18 has the sidewalls of the recess function as light traps forthe end of the lens 10 and/or supports for the lens to hold the lens inposition.

What is claimed is:

1. An acoustical ceiling panel system wherein certain of the acousticalpanels are mounted in an inclined relationship relative to the plane ofthe ceiling system to f rm a vaulted module, a lighting fixture ismounted above the plane of the ceiling system in the region where theinclined panels are closest together, the improvement c mprising asupport bracket means supporting the lighting fixture in position, saidbracket means having an outer decorative means forming a closure for theends of the inclined panels whereby the ceilingmodule has its sidesformed by the decorative surface of the brackets and the inclinedpanels, said bracket means are trapezoidal inshape with a recess in theupper portion of the trapezoidal shape providing a mounting area for thelighting fixture and a receiving recess for a lens provided with thelighting fixture.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said recess is formed as adepression away from the outer decorative means on the bracket means,said lens rest on the side wall of the recess while the lighting fixtureis fastened to the bottom wall of the recess whereby the recess sidewall functions as a light trap for the end of the lens.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,343,309 9/1967 Netz 52-283,426,188 2/1969 Baranowski 52-28 2,526,828 10/1950 Phillips 2405l.11

JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner US. Cl. XR. 52144; 240-9, 51.1

